The Chishills issues
Police and traffic issues update
Two recent meetings, the Neighbourhood Police Panel and the Speeding Summit, provided a forum to bring local concerns to attention.
At the July 21st Neighbourhood Police Panel, questions were asked on behalf of the Chishills about speeding from weekend cycle clubs along the B1039, recent dog attacks, and the fading of give-way white painted lines. Hopefully these issues will be added to the Police to-do list and feeback will be provided at the October 21st meeting (venue to be announced).
News announced at the meeting included the imminent departure of PCSO Emma Garwood, who is moving on to training as a Police Constable. We do not know when we will see a replacement come in for Emma, to join PCSO Lee Nutbeam, though the question was asked. There is some concern as the number of applicants does not match the number of PCSOs leaving, on a district-wide basis.
At the Speeding Summit, we listened to a lot of reasons as to why speed limits cannot be reduced in a simple manner. For example, police and County officials want speed limits to be enforceable, so that speed limit reductions must be accompanied by ‘environmental changes’; and there is considerable expense even for minor changes, due to a variety of legal requirements. The audience of parish, district and county councillors was determined, however, to get the message across that something must be done. Great interest resulted in a demonstration of a Community Speedwatch project recently piloted in the Soham area.
Bins for Raglan Housing Association tenants
You may recall a controversy in the local press earlier this year, over the refusal of South Cambs District Council to provide free delivery of green and black bins for residents in new housing association rented housing. The cost of delivery of a pair of bins is £60.
The Council’s position is that housing associations should pick up the tab. However, this came as a surprise to housing associations with new developments opening up; the cost of bin deliveries had not been budgeted for. Raglan Housing Association recently completed a development of new housing in Heydon Road, Great Chishill, and residents who could not afford the delivery charge were left withouth bins, and nowhere to get rid of their rubbish. The same problem occurred in Elin Way, Meldreth.
Susan took the matter to Full Council, asking the Tory-run executive to provide free bins to residents in new social rented housing. This motion was lost, and she came back to ask the Portfolio Holder if she would at least provide bins at cost, rather than profit, to council tax payers unable to afford the delivery fee. The answer was a resounding ‘No.’
When the story was published in the local press, Raglan stepped in and announced that it would provide free bins for its residents at Heydon Road and Elin Way. Hopefully by now, residents should all have their bins; the small minority of those who paid the original delivery fee should have been reimbursed for that expense. Susan has been in touch with Raglan to ensure that any outstanding deliveries are made as soon as possible. Please let her know if you are still experiencing problems.
Meanwhile, the Council’s rigid bin charge policy remains unchanged.
Royston and District Community Transport scheme
If you are elderly or mobility impaired, and need lifts to the doctor’s or to get shopping done, you could benefit from the Royston and District Community Transport scheme.
A fleet of volunteer drivers donate their time free of charge. Passengers contribute 45 pence per mile; the minimum charge is £3.50 per journey. The scheme also operates a wheelchair-accessible 12/16 seat minibus and a four-six seat Multi-Purpose Vehicle.
The service can be used for health care appointments, day centres, special needs clubs, social purposes and shopping.
If you require a lift - or would like to volunteer as a driver - please text or phone 01763-245228 between 9AM and 3PM Monday to Friday; an answer phone will take a message if the phone is unmanned. (Please don’t be put off by the answer phone - it does get checked regularly!) You can also email the service at rct1@totalise.co.uk.
Heydon and the Chishills: A505 junction safety needs
At a Chishill Parish Council meeting earlier this year, Christine Cartwright, recent Melbourn, Heydon and the Chishills District Council candidate and newly elected Chishill Parish Councillor, heard of progress at the County Council on improving safety at the A505 Flint Cross junction. Lib Dem Duxford County Councillor Tim Stone was credited with having persuaded the County Council to commission a survey of the road from Flint Cross to Duxford.
We now await further details as to what sort of improvements might be considered.
Christine Cartwright praised for her district council election campaign
Though the votes did not add up to enough to make Christine Cartwright the new District Councillor for the Chishills, Christine came in second out of four candidates, and her Focus team has been hearing praise for the dedicated, professional and calm manner of her campaign.
The campaign highlighted a range of issues about which residents feel strongly: police work in the community, good opportunities for young people, and a range of traffic and speeding issues in several parts of the village, to name a few.
(Sadly, it can also be said that the election period also revealed that the main opposition party had not delved into Chishill issues very deeply, starting with the spelling of the village name. In an article about post office closures, one couldn’t help note that the Tory leaflet mistakenly highlighted a post office closure of twenty-five years ago! )
Christine was delighted to be elected to Great Chishill Parish Council, receiving the greatest number of votes of any candidate, and looks forward greatly to her new responsibilities. No doubt she will continue to attend the Melbourn Neighbourhood Police Panel in her new capacity as Parish Councillor.
She wrote in her first election Focus, “I have been a Liberal Democrat for many years, and I agree with their politics and ethos. I believe with them that decisions that affect our lives should be made as near to the people they affect as possible. Democracy should start at the local level. I believe in the freedom of the individual within the law, and equality of all, above all.”
